


Be broken or be brave again

by SiobhanMcG



Series: The Faro Diaries [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Ar'alani gets a sword, Everyone is tired, F/F, Faro needs an Ibuprofen and a large drink, Force Dyads, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Rough adherence to canon but largely divergent, Set at Treason, Thranto is the endgame but the background Faro/Ar'alani is STRONG, idiots in love solve shipping mysteries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27006331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiobhanMcG/pseuds/SiobhanMcG
Summary: This takes place after the infamous 'Good Day Lieutenant Vanto'; instead of going their separate ways, The Steadfast and The Chimaera join forces to go after the Grysks and investigate some other related matters. Meaning the Dream Team is back together- only they're avoiding each other and unwilling to confront their issues. And Faro is tired of it, so is Ar'alani. So they come up with a plan.Once in a blue moon could be considered a prologue to this.
Relationships: Ar'alani/Karyn Faro, Karyn Faro & Eli Vanto, Karyn Faro & Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Ronan/His cape, Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Series: The Faro Diaries [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966519
Comments: 15
Kudos: 39





	1. Faro - 1

Karyn Faro was not having a good time. What had started as entertaining had soon changed to exasperating was steadily becoming infuriating. Which is what brought her to the Chimaera’s officers’ lounge this late Friday afternoon.  _ Kriff, she needed a drink. _ She slumped into a booth and sluggishly waved her comm over the device embedded in the middle of the table. Her usual would do. Her mind unavoidably returned to the cause of her upcoming tension headache.  _ Vanto and Thrawn _ . She expected that having both men working together again, albeit across to different navies, would be good, maybe even great. She had even dared to hope that the Admiral might be slightly less miserable.  _ Boy, had she been wrong. _ When the Chiss wasn’t stewing in his office, he was brooding on the bridge. The man was miserable and his crew appeared to be fated to be miserable with him. Including her. From both her own interactions with him and Admiral Ar’alani’s comments, Eli was just as bad. Whilst she missed him dearly in his year-long absence, she was currently contemplating jettisoning him towards the nearest inhabitable planet through whatever means necessary.

In her peripheral vision, she saw a familiar figure coming through the doorway, entering the officers’ lounge. A smile crept onto Faro’s lips.  _ Ar’alani _ . Ever since the start of their joint mission, they’d fallen into an easy rhythm. Each Friday, they’d have drinks in the officers’ lounge aboard the  _ Chimaera _ and every other weekend they’d have dinner aboard the  _ Steadfast.  _ Technically speaking, it was a social occasional open to all of the higher command echelons of each ship, but Faro had a feeling that after the week they’d just had, not many would show. The Chiss preferred to keep to themselves regardless and most Imperial officers struggled to connect with them. Besides, Faro suspected half of them were too intimidated by Ar’alani, with the exceptions of Senior Lieutenant Pyrondi, Thrawn and his aide -Junior Lieutenant Varsin- and herself of course.

From her stride and pursed lips, Faro could tell the Chiss was annoyed. Sporting the familiar signs of a growing headache. She waved her comm over the device in the middle of the table again, anticipating the Admiral’s order and gave the woman a quick nod as she sat down opposite her.

“You would not happen to have any spare escape pods?” Her voice had its usual neutral tone to it, but Faro recognised the look in her eyes. 

“Not if you are planning on jettisoning them out into hyperspace.” She replied, turning her gaze on the droid approaching with their drinks.

Ar’alani turned to pluck her glass from the droid’s arm. “Pity.” 

Faro mirrored her gesture and turned her gaze back to Ar’alani. “I have a need for them myself.” A small grin playing on her lips. Ar’alani didn’t reply, but shot her a sly grin of her own and a knowing look. Faro knew that she too had been done with Thrawn’s antics and his fervent avoidance of Eli, even when he was clearly the best man for the task. Instead, he had been piling work on his aide, even more so than usual. And she swore she would strangle the man, tactical genius or not, if she had to source yet another one. Junior Lieutenant Varsin took it in stride,  _ mostly _ . Between the tasks Admiral Thrawn piled on her, playing messenger droid between him and Lieutenant Vanto and her usual duties, she wasn’t left much time to complain about anything. She had recently been given an informal promotion within the  _ Chimaera _ ; better quarters and access to the officers’ lounge. Stars knew the woman deserved a drink. Faro expected her to enter any moment now. An unintended side-effect of her informal promotion had been that Junior Lieutenant Varsin was much less timid and much more vocal now. Faro knew that especially Senior Lieutenant Pyrondi was taking great pleasure in watching Varsin and Xoxtin quarrelling over Thrawn’s latest orders. Like clockwork, her comm pinged. She checked the datapad.

“Lieutenant Varsin will be joining us as soon as she has finished delivering a cache of data cards to Lieutenant Vanto.”

“From Admiral Mitth’raw’nuruodo I assume.” She accentuated the statement with a sip from her glass, the wine staining her lips a deep purple. Faro decided it best she focus again on her own drink.

“You assume right, I believe she is to aid Lieutenant Vanto in his analysis of the Grysk warship data you’ve collated.”

Ar’alani raised an eyebrow. “But she does not speak Cheunh.” Ar’alani stated.

“Oh I know she doesn’t- me and the entire officer corps.” The other day, Lieutenant Varsin had sworn to go and live amongst the Wampas on Hoth if she ever had to see a single character of Cheunh ever again. Unfortunately for her, the  _ Chimaera _ was currently stationed over 90 parsecs away from the closest Wampa, so she had been back with data cards full of Cheunh the next day. “Who do you think she’ll strangle first?” Faro joked, looking up at Ar’alani.

Ar’alani put her long fingers to her lips, as if in contemplation. “Lieutenant Eli’van’to is the easier target, but Mitth’raw’nuruodo is more infuriating.” Ar’alani paused for a second as if measuring her next words. “And I am not sure if I could endure the moping that would undoubtedly follow if Lieutenant Varsin were to assassinate him.”

“You think Admiral Thrawn would be any easier to tolerate if she’d decide to maul Vanto first instead?”

“No.” Ar’alani replied coolly. “But he is not my problem.”

“Touché” Faro grumbled. “Someone needs to knock their heads together.” Ar’alani’s gaze shifted to her with sudden interest. But before she could say something, Junior Lieutenant Varsin appeared on the side of the booth. The young woman politely greeted the Chiss admiral and glanced at Faro, wordlessly asking permission to join them. Faro simply nodded in response, swiping her comm over the table once more to order the young woman a drink. She was feeling generous today and as the three of them bore the brunt of the disaster that was Vanto and Thrawn in the same planetary system, she felt they all deserved it. Lieutenant Varsin sat into the booth to sit next to her, before sliding down against the backrest with a heavy sigh. She looked deflated.  _ One of those days _ . 

“Thank you, commodore.”

“No problem. Your usual?”

“Perfect.” She muttered.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, enjoying their respective drinks before Lieutenant Varsin peered up. “Did you hear about the debacle with TI-84CE?” She asked, obviously eager to tell the story. Ar’alani grimaced, apparently unhappily aware.  _ Interesting. _ Faro shook her head, gesturing for Varsin to continue.

“So I only hear it from Lieutenant Pyrondi- But apparently TI was supposed to retrieve something for Admiral Thrawn aboard the Steadfast as I was with Lieutenant Vanto.” Faro nodded. “And he ran into this child-”

“A Navigator.” Ar’alani supplied curtly.

“But he didn’t know that, as far as TI was concerned he just found a random Chiss child wandering around a hallway. But of course, he doesn’t speak Sy Bisti. Or Cheunh.” Varsin wrinkled her nose, reminded she didn’t understand a word of it either. “So there was no way of finding out and not wanting to leave the kid on her own, he took her with him. Ended up carrying her on his shoulders actually! But well the rest of the  _ Steadfast’ _ s crew-”

“Were taking necessary safety precautions.” Ar’alani warned.

Faro groaned. She’d known some misunderstandings were bound to happen with two warships’ worth of crew who had no effective way of communicating. “They shot him?”

Varsin piped up. “Well, they tried to!” Ar’alani shot the Junior Lieutenant a piercing look, causing her to shrink back into her seat. She had the decency to look embarrassed.

“The Navigator protected TI-84CE.” Ar’alani explained.

Faro nodded. “Third sight?” Trooper commander Kimmund had told her about the young Chiss’ impressive abilities during their mission on Batuu. Ar’alani nodded. “I take it the issue was resolved and there isn’t currently a civil war raging in the bowels of our ships?”

“Yes- TI commed me to get Thrawn, but since I wasn’t in the office-”

“Lieutenant Eli’van’to diffused the situation.” Ar’alani cut in with a roll of her eyes.

“And why is this the first I hear of it?” Faro enquired, she swore she could see a sly grin forming on Ar’alani’s lips.

“I told Lieutenant Eli’van’to to report it to Admiral Mitth’raw’nuruodo.” 

Faro laughed. “I see.” She turned to Junior Lieutenant Varsin. “I expect you’ve documented and reported the incident in Admiral Thrawn’s absence?”

“Yes Ma’am!” She gave a small salute and then continued, suddenly turning thoughtful. “Lieutenant Vanto and Admiral Thrawn...” Faro and Ar'alani exchanged a look, but remained silent. “Did something happen?”

Faro raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“I just- after everything I've heard about Lieutenant Vanto.” Varsin shrugged, suddenly appearing self-conscious; her usually smooth Mid-rim accent thickened. “And y'know- With 'im being the only human in t' Chiss ascendancy and Admiral Thrawn being the only Chiss in the Imperial navy- I just figured..." She trailed off, shrugging once more and taking a swig from her drink. “Lieutenant Vanto seems..." Varsin chose her words carefully "Unsettled... Whenever the Admiral is mentioned.”

“And that's often, is it?”

Varsin looked down into her glass. “I just thought he could give me some pointers, I really like this assignment.” She mumbled. 

“You're doing fine.” Faro encouraged her. _ She really didn't have the time to find yet another aide. _

Varsin huffed. “Obviously not. When I suggested I set up a meeting for him and Lieutenant Vanto to discuss the preliminary findings, he suggested I re-sort his collection of Geonosian sculptures and check the Royal Imperial Archives for some obscure Geonosian architectural references.” Varsin took a large swig from her drinks. “He said it might be useful in the next confrontation with the Grysks.” She hid her face in her glass again and muttered something under her breath. Faro figured it probably wasn't very polite.

“Mitth'raw'nuruodo has always had his idiosyncrasies.” Ar'alani commented in a faux-neutral voice.

Varsin started to apologise but was interrupted by her comm bleeping. She checked her datapad and sighs. "The Admiral wants me to run over some data chips to Lieutenant Vanto."

Faro checked her holowatch. "Your shift finished nearly an hour ago."

Varsin stood up and straightened her uniform. "Is any shift ever really over when it comes to Grand Admiral Thrawn." Faro had to give her that one, but she made a note to have a word with the man about it nevertheless. Whilst she'd hate to admit it, she had grown rather fond of the Junior Lieutenant. She'd make a fine commander one day.

A comfortable silence fell following Lieutenant Varsin's departure as the women enjoyed their drinks and savoured the rare moment of calm. Faro contemplated the other woman. Her eyes carried their usual neutral gaze, but accompanied by a slight edge. Her black-blue hair reflected a deep navy in the officers' lounge softened light. Her thin lips compressed in a faint smile. An idea began to form.

'You're planning something.' Ar'alani stated; it wasn't a question, as much as an invitation to share

“Merely observing.” Faro paused, looking into Ar'alani's glittering eyes. “There is a problem we would both benefit from solving- two problems to be precise.”

The Chiss rolled her eyes. “I find that all that involves Mitth'raw'nuruodo tends to lead to a singular, insufferable headache.”

Faro smiled. “I never mentioned the Admiral, but I believe a visit to Aloxor is in order to further investigate the disappearing shipments their supply office reported, there is only so much data we can gather from up here.”

"And it never hurts to liaise with the locals." Ar'alani paused, a sly smile appearing on her lips. "Good relations are often instrumental in solving problems."

"And I believe Sy Bisti is one of the main trading languages spoken there."

Ar'alani smile broadened. "As well as Meese Caulf."

"Such a pity our droids aren't programmed with those."

Ar'alani leaned back against the plush cushioning of the booth." Very unfortunate indeed." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Eli and Thrawn are going on a mission.
> 
> So: -comms also function like smartwatches and give you datapad notifications, -One in a Blue Moon could be considered the prologue and this the intro -Faro and Ar'alani have regular boozy catch-ups. -Yes that trooper is named after a Texas Instrument calculator -Yes I couldn't think of a title so I picked Hozier lyrics -Varsin, being Thrawn's aide, probably spends a lot of time with Faro and some of the senior officers so has just kinda become their +1/adopted side-kick.


	2. Aloxor - 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are off to Aloxor investigating missing shipments that don't fit the Stardust theft pattern. Faro and Ar'alani are getting some rest up aboard their ships. Ronan is ironing his cape.

Be careful what you wished for. It was the second time in as many months that he found himself considering the adage. _Especially when it concerned Chiss._

He'd hoped to see more of Thrawn, but after their initial visit to the Grysk observation post and the subsequent debrief, the Chiss had all but disappeared. Whether he was avoiding Eli or simply busy, he couldn't tell. He supposed it was unsurprising, between investigating grallocs, their joint mission with the CDF, dealing with Ronan and whatever else was plaguing him. Instead, Eli had been spending a lot of time with Junior Lieutenant Varsin, Thrawn's new aide. Whilst he’d rather kiss a rancor than admit it outside the privacy of his own mind he had initially felt… resentful of the young woman. It was immature of him, but he sometimes missed his place on the _Chimaera._ Working in the CDF was challenging and at times highly rewarding, but he missed his crew and -all be damned- his missed working with his old commander. Ar’alani was good- incredible even. But Thrawn was truly unique, as was their bond. After nearly 15 years of working together, the separation had been harder than either had expected he suspected. That- and he had never really liked the thought of being replaced and someone else doing his job. Eli had tried to suppress the old insecurities as they rose in his stomach, but after meeting the young woman he realised his fretting had been needless. His stomach twisted uncomfortably with a twinge of embarrassment. Furthermore, any remaining insecurities had been solidly put to rest when Faro told him about the aides who came before and their tenure- or rather the lack thereof. He didn’t envy them.

He remembered his first months with Thrawn and their time in the academy. At least that had been on somewhat equal footing. Whilst working with Thrawn had been exhilarating and highly rewarding, it was also demanding and sometimes just plain confusing. Stars knew it had taken him some time to see the logic in the Chiss' brilliant, but often convoluted, schemes. Initially, he'd thought it was a general Chiss trait, but after joining the Ascendancy he soon learned that it was uniquely Thrawn. If anything, Admiral Ar'alani appeared to be every bit as exasperated with Thrawn's scheme as the entirety of Imperial High Command combined. 

Today, however, instead of being in his cramped temporary office with Lieutenant Varsin on a chair she’d taken from another meeting room, he found himself in a tightly packed shuttle headed to Aloxor. With Thrawn. The Chiss sat opposite him and studied something on his datapad. He hadn't spoken a single word to Eli or even done as much as looked at him. It didn't appear he was avoiding Eli either. He just seemed... _Disinterested? No._ He shook his head, he knew Thrawn well enough to know he was never truly disinterested in anything. _Preoccupied maybe_. 

Eli skimmed over the briefing Admiral Ar’alani had given him one last time. They were headed for Aloxor, a desert planet, with markets and trading outposts and mining facilities. Not unlike Tatooine, Eli had expected. When they reached the planet's lower orbits and could make out the structures of its capital city and the region, he was surprised. Whilst there were large patches of dark brown on the surface, he could also see large swatches of green and blue with silver swirls of cities dispersed between them. But one stood out. In the briefing, he had read that the capital was built around an old oasis which had later become a trading outpost. Where he had expected narrow market alleyways and desert sands like on Tatooine or Jedha, Eli found himself looking at a bright city, all shimmering glass and shining Durasteel. Floating waterfalls and rooftop gardens accentuated the gentle curves of buildings shining in the sunlight. He caught their stormtrooper escorts staring out the viewport as well, at least he hadn't been the only one being surprised. Thrawn, unexpectedly, looked nonplussed. 

Upon their arrival, they were greeted by a small welcoming party; the ambassador and trade minister, in addition to a few councillors. The ambassador was a large man with a warm voice, dressed in deep cerulean robes with subtle silver threading that shimmered as it caught the sunlight. It wasn’t long before they were discussing the disappearing -or rather stolen- shipments. He learned that shipments connected to Stardust had been disappearing from Aloxor’s storage facilities, but unlike those supposedly targeted by grallocs, these did not contain any turbolaser parts. Nevertheless, both Thrawn and Ronan wanted to establish what was happening here, so he and Thrawn had gone to investigate.

“Could there be involvement from rebels?” Thrawn suggested. Eli caught a muscular twitch in his jaw and saw the larger man tensing slightly. He’d heard that rebels were a growing threat, but he’d never imagined mere rebels would get this kind of a reaction out of Thrawn. He made a mental note to ask Faro, curiosity sparked.

“No.” The ambassador raised an eyebrow. “Pirates or smugglers maybe- or any other variety of scoundrel. But there are no rebels in this system.”  
  
“And you are certain of this?”

“Yes.”

“Now, I’ve heard you’ve been having some troubles with grallocs.”

“I was recently assigned yes, may I ask where you-”

“Senator Haviland has been trying to ‘come to an agreement’ with our winged friends for years now.”

“Interesting. Though I have not seen any in this system or heard mention of them in my investigation of Aloxor.”

The ambassador frowns. “No, just mynocks around these parts- you’ll find grallocs on some of the neighbouring planets.” He then shrugs, tension leaving him as fast as it set in. “Senator Haviland visited a few times, asking us for advice but I am afraid there was not much we could do to help.”

Eli made a mental note and recognised Thrawn doing the same. He did not yet know why, but he had a feeling there was more to this than met the eye.

En-route to the conference room, they stopped several times as the ambassador pointed out sights and buildings through the curved glass walls overlooking the city. Eli had to admit it was an impressive sight. The district immediately surrounding the ministry was calm and quiet. On the various walkways and elevators, he could see a handful of aliens and humans in muted colours, who presumably worked in the surrounding offices. Further out, the city looks lively. He spots a bazaar covered by colourful umbrellas, providing a break from the harsh sunlight. Old-fashioned markets like this were common on Lysatra, where merchants sold their wares out in the open, often hidden away from the heat of the sun by fabrics hung overhead. He felt a slight tug in his chest. Whilst he’d been in the Imperial navy for nearly twenty years and been back to Lysatra only a handful of times, he had never missed it then. Now, knowing he could never return, he occasionally found himself homesick. Did Thrawn ever feel that way, he wondered. In their years together, he had rarely mentioned Csilla but now that Eli experienced that wistful tug in his chest himself, he wondered. There had been moments when Thrawn had seemed lost in thought, seemingly staring off into the distance whilst admiring his art, as he was doing right now. At Thrawn’s request, the ambassador also stopped to discuss the various pieces on display as they passed them.

Most of it seemed archaeological, much of it either painted on or carved into slates of rock. Eli thought it was beautiful, but the ambassador dismissed it. He felt a pang of sadness, through his time with Thrawn he had developed a special appreciation for art. Eli knew he would never equal Thrawn’s understanding of it, but he didn’t need to. Thrawn himself had taken a special interest in a ceremonial vase which depicted locals presenting offerings for a harvest festival, the ambassador explained proudly. The people carried plates holding fruits, grains, wine -and what Eli thought looked like a small plate of mynock wings. He suppressed a small chuckle. That story of the trooper who was challenged to eat two plates of spicy mynock wing was famous amongst the imperial ranks for all the wrong reasons.

The presentation and subsequent meeting were led by the trade minister; a small but very intimidating Twi'lek. She presented their analysis of the problem; supply rates, possible patterns in the missing shipments and more. Eli followed it closely. The cooling overheads, packaging ratios and storage costs followed similar percentages and ratios as his parents’ company on Lysatra. The data looked good and precise. Incredibly precise even- he wasn’t sure if he had ever seen such tight -working- margins. Every missing crate was accounted for and the losses carefully managed and offset elsewhere. His younger self might have whistled at the precision. But something was off. He ran the numbers again in this head as the meeting finished and they made their way to the great hall to have lunch. The trade minister had excused herself, citing other engagements. 

The lunch was served as a large buffet featuring a wide selection of foods, but mostly fruits, vegetables and grains, Eli noticed. Though the ambassador and the other representatives appeared to be largely eating a dish made of spiced root vegetable. Eli spotted him nervously glancing over at Thrawn and chalked it up to not being familiar with Chiss food and flavour preferences. Though he hadn't shown the same hesitancy during the refreshments at the meeting; he supposed those had been much more minimal.

He hadn’t managed to speak to Thrawn yet, who seemed to be focussing his attention on the ambassador. When the man left for a moment, Eli decided it was time to take his chances. _They had a job to do._

“Lieutenant Vanto.” Thrawn didn’t look up as Eli approached, his voice studiously neutral.

“Sir.” Eli licked his lips, a nervous trait he still couldn’t quite suppress. “The presentation was certainly... Interesting.”

Thrawn answered with a non-committal hum, his eyes focussed on the food in front of him.

“What do you make of the food, Lieutenant Vanto?”

Eli frowned, thrown off guard. _The food?_ He looked at the plate in front of him filled with chunks of silla fruit, meiloorun, granadilla, horned yeon berries and a slice of jogan cake. 

“It’s interesting.” He noted. “You don’t usually get these together on the same plate, certainly not out here.”

Thrawn nodded. “None of these are grown on Aloxor or any neighbouring systems, or even sectors, nevertheless they appear fresh.” He frowned, eyes glowing more intently- a change that would have been missed by most, but Eli knew what to look for. He picked up a slice and ate it, wondering what Thrawn was expecting him to see. _Maybe…_

“They've been aerodrated.” The had been the give away- Aloxor didn’t see enough traffic, especially for an Outer Rim planet, to obtain these fruits fresh, let alone to have them all available fresh at the same moment. But when he looked over at Thrawn, the Chiss looked confused.

“Aerodrated?”

“It’s a way of preserving fresh produce for storage and travel. I don’t know much about the science behind it, but it allows for fruit and vegetables to be returned to their fresh state- or near enough anyway.” He gently sliced one of the berries in half, pointing at the subtle change in texture. “It does leave some traces, but it’s barely noticeable.” Eli could tell Thrawn would be researching it in private later.

“A common method?”

“Depends on where you are- it wasn’t on Lysatra, but I know some systems still use it.” Thrawn raised an eyebrow. “It’s pretty time consuming, sir. And because it’s considered outdated, no one has bothered improving the process.”

“Is it a complicated process?”

“Not particularly, not expensive either if that’s what you're thinking. Just takes too much time for most people these days, or that’s how we felt on Lysatra anyway. Maybe it’s different here.”

“Perhaps.”

Eli didn’t ask further- Thrawn would either eventually tell him, or he’d decide it was irrelevant and he wouldn’t. He learned not to question it a long time ago. He forgot what he had wanted to say himself and then wondered what it was Thrawn had planned to say before the topic of preservation methods came up. But when he asked, Thrawn simply shook his head. “It is inconsequential now; your insights were much more valuable.”

Eli savoured the warm glow from Thrawn’s praise, he had missed this.

After their lunch, they visited the storage facilities and warehouses where Thrawn contacted Commodore Faro, requesting she collect additional supply data for Eli. Their brief lunchtime conversation appeared to have subtly shifted the air between them and Eli could feel them falling back into a familiar rhythm. 

Inside the warehouse, his eyes were immediately drawn to the blaster scorch marks that had scorched the floor and supply crates at the currently closed docking ports. Whoever had taken the shipments put up a fight, that much was obvious. Thrawn studied the marks closely while Eli made his way over to familiar coolers and storage equipment; similar makes and models as his parents owned on Lysatra, albeit scaled up to match the size of the warehouse. The equipment was old but sturdy and dependable. A strange juxtaposition against the sleek buildings and their smooth surfaces. They reminded Eli of home, but he no longer felt the pang of homesickness as he might have in the past. Thrawn appeared next to him.

“A bit clunky, but durable.” He commented, resting his hand on the cold steel. His father had once tried the new, modern models; automated with motion and touch sensors. Eli shook his head, remembering that particular disaster- it had lasted all of three months before his father had gotten Soran to rebuild the old systems. These new and sophisticated systems were useful for smaller systems like comms and datapads, but for large equipment, the old and ‘clunky’ systems really were the best.  
  
“Lower maintenance I assume costs?” Thrawn asked.

“Yes.” Eli confirmed. “Less likely to break- and when they break they are a lot easier to fix.” He looked around at the blaster scourged walls and speeders. “And less vulnerable to blasters.”

“I agree.” Thrawn’s gaze settles on the blaster marks once more. “What do you see, Lieutenant Vanto?” He asked, now in Cheunh. 

“The marks are centred around the entrance and the initial rows of crates, the thieves must have forced their way in...” He studied the blaster marks closely, attempting to determine the aim and direction of the shots. Eli frowned. “They didn’t do very well, the shots seem chaotic- lacking a clear target.”

“It would fit with the reports that no one was killed or seriously injured.”

“Strange though, the guard droids patrolled had a set patrol route, didn’t they?” He looked up at the droids currently guarding the facilities. “You’d think shooting them down would be a clean job, but it doesn’t look like they were targeting the droids- Or guards, you’d expect the crates which they would have used for cover to bear the brunt of the marks.”

“Very good. What else?”

Eli looked around again- “They’ve been very lucky, none of the speeders or coolers were hit, there’s only minor damage.”

“Indeed, despite incredibly small probabilities; especially with shooting this chaotic wouldn’t you say?” Thrawn was right Eli realised, it was a little _too_ convenient. “And note the tools on the wall and the lifters- None of them appear to have been disturbed, yet they would have been convenient weapons.”

“I see it now.” Eli said grimacing, he had missed that one alright. _Learn and move on._ “Avoiding violence- definitely not your average criminals.”

“Although the people of Aloxor appear to oppose violence, which may offer some explanation.”

“Doesn’t explain the blaster shots though.” He waved his hand in the direction of the heavily scorched floor.

“It does not indeed.” Thrawn gave Eli a brief, inquisitive look as if he were evaluating a detail on a particularly complex piece of art. “I will speak to trade minister Fenn and I wish to observe the speeders, could you speak to the ambassador? Our conversation appears to have piqued his interest, it may be worth observing his reaction.” 

“I understand, sir.”

He watched Thrawn make his way to the trade minister, appearing himself to be caught by surprise by the ambassador’s ‘sudden’ appearance at his side

“You noticed something?”

“We were merely observing you’ve been very lucky- We usually see a lot worse when there’s a raid on storage facilities like these.” Eli shrugged nonchalantly. “But I shouldn’t complain, thieves with no aim are a lot easier to catch after all.”

“We’re not violent people, these kinds of incidents are rare in our capital. I don’t even own a blaster!”

“What do you do when you get into fights?” Eli joked, eying the man carefully.

“I run.” The ambassador chuckled. “And then we call you.” He glanced over at the trade minister who was talking to Thrawn. “Though I do believe Minister Fenn is very skilled at hand-to-hand combat. So I suppose I could always cower!” 

“No need for that, sir. As you said: we're here now.” Eli offered what he hoped was his most convincing imitation of a confident -bordering on arrogant- grin. “Scoundrels and smugglers are our specialty!” A near-invisible strain of tension left the ambassador’s shoulders- luckily Eli had spent a decade with Thrawn and then a year with exclusively Chiss. Humans had become easy to read in comparison.

“I meant to ask before, but I didn't want to be pry. Your uniform- it's not Imperial, is it?”

“No, sir.” Eli had expected the question would be asked at one point or another. His CDF uniform stood out sorely against the Imperial Navy issued standard dress. “I am here as a consultant- An advisor to the Grand Admiral.” The Ambassador nodded. “Well, we're glad you are here.” 

* * *

At the end of the day, the usual guestrooms had been prepared for them. The ambassador had offered to take them out for a drink and enjoy the local culture but Thrawn refused, citing reports that needed finishing. This surprised Eli, whilst Thrawn didn’t drink much he rarely declined invitations to observe and study local customs and culture. For a fleeting moment, the ambassador looked relieved, but then the broad, warm smile returned once more. After showing them their respective rooms, he led them to a conference room that would serve as their office during their stay on Aloxor. It was already prepared and set up, their visitors’ passes programmed with the relevant clearance codes. Once the ambassador explained the system to them and advised them to just use the internal comm system if they need anything -and even gave them his personal comm line just in case- he left.

Eli looked at Thrawn and found him looking right back at him, his eyes glowing softly. Thrawn looked tired, there were small lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there a year ago and his shoulders seemed tense insead of strong. Eli felt something aching deep within him. _What happened?_ The moment lasted, neither man willing to break it; with too much between them and too little ground to discuss it. For the first time, Eli wondered if they made the right decision in him going to the Ascendancy- not for the sake of himself or the Ascendancy or the Empire, but for _their_ sake. He didn’t know how long they’d been standing there but eventually Thrawn looked away, gazing out of the window instead. The sun was setting outside, illuminating his high cheekbones and drawing out deep shadows on his cheeks. His expression softened. His voice was low when he finally spoke. “It is good to find myself working with you again, Lieutenant Vanto.” There was a brief moment of hesitation, then he added in a soft, layered voice. “Thank you.” 

Warmth bloomed in his chest and spread through him; something between them fell back into place. Without thinking, he put his hand on Thrawn’s upper arm. “The pleasure is all mine, sir.”

*

They had been working in comfortable silence for a few hours now. When Eli looked up stars illuminated the night sky, it was a strange feeling looking up and not being amongst them. He smiled to himself; if only his younger self could see him now. A true officer, more comfortable amongst the stars than on the ground. Besides him, Thrawn was staring at a grainy holo-map hovering above the table. Datapads were scattered across the table, displaying various supply numbers and graphs, local art and charts of illegal activity in the sector. Thrawn’s eyes were glowing mutely in the dimmed room, adjusted to Chiss’ preferences. Eli had long gotten used to it. The blue light from the projector and datapads cut into Thrawn’s pale skin, deepening the creases around his eyes. The thin red lines under his eyes looked raw. He cringed, suddenly remembering their reunion in the _Chimaera_ ’s hangar bay a few weeks ago. Working with Thrawn, he had always seemed invincible; an unbreakable constant. Now -aware of not only the threats inside the Empire but also those from the outside and the mounting pressure from the Ascendancy- Eli wasn’t so sure. It seemed too much for any one man to deal with. The Grysks, the Emperor, the grallocs, the TIE-defenders, the Ascendancy, the whispers he heard about Lothal and the rebels, Governor Pryce, Assistant-director Ronan- the list went on and on. His stomach sank, he’d been selfish but he was determined to change that. For a moment he hesitated, wondering if he was about to overstep.

“Sir?” Thrawn looked up, his eyes glowing dimly. Eli knew he made the right choice. “I know this situation doesn't concern the CDF as such, but would you like me to take point on this?”

Thrawn remained silent and studied him, but Eli felt confident. Right now, they were equal once more. And whatever had changed between them in their shared absence, Eli _knew_ Thrawn trusted him; the bond they once shared was still there. In his heart, he wondered if that mutual trust and respect could ever dissolve. His younger self would have been abhorred, but Eli didn’t think he would be able to imagine a realm in which he did not trust the man. His offer wasn’t that of an ex-aide or a Lieutenant in the CDF but that of a friend.

Then after a moment, Thrawn nodded. “Thank you, Lieutenant Vanto. I would appreciate that.”

Eli smiled. “It’s what I’m here for.” He stifled a yawn, it was getting rather late. “But I think it’s best if we call it a night now.”

“Perhaps.” Thrawn’s voice was neutral, but Eli saw the playful glint in his eyes as he shut down the projector.

Eli laughed and could see Thrawn chuckling softly next to him. Most of the imperial high command seemed to think the Chiss didn’t have much of a sense of humour, but Eli was glad to know they were wrong. He enjoyed seeing this more unguarded and lighthearted side of Thrawn; a more vulnerable side. A side often reserved for quiet, private moments such as this. There was no place for warmth and compassion in the Imperial Navy, not for an alien anyway. Eli felt a pang of sadness; he knew Thrawn had plenty of both these qualities, in his own unique and reserved way. He started packing away his pads and datachips and saw Thrawn doing the same. Eli hoped the Chiss would get some much needed rest tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The dream team are do some investigating and face a dilemma.
> 
> Am I playing fast and loose with canon? Yes. Maybe they will actually go to Aloxor with the death troopers at some point, maybe not. I am not sure yet. This and the next part were originally going to be one chapter, but it got long and otherwise it was going to take ages. (I also crave validation but we won't be mentioning that.) I am also sticking to my idea of dyads, which is the 'bond' Eli talks about- even if he doesn't know it yet! All faults are my own!  
> And thanks to Alex/Chocomudkip (soz I am terrible at remembering who is who on AO3) for some good ideas when I was stuck!


	3. Aloxor - 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thrawn and Eli discuss their findings, getting ready for the next part of their mission

Eli woke early the next morning, yet he knew Thrawn was awake already. After a quick visit to the refresher and going over his report, he was on his way to Thrawn’s room, datapad in hand and analysis ready. He half expected the door to slide open at his touch, but instead found himself waiting outside with a slight pang in his heart. It wasn’t a long wait before he was invited in. Whatever progress he felt they made yesterday, it had evaporated overnight. Thrawn was guarded, every part the stoic and tactical mastermind he was known to be, but to Eli, it felt hollow. Despite the Chiss’ reputation, Eli knew him to be…  _ warm _ , in his own unique way. A bit aloof maybe, but rarely uncaring. Before his mind could wander further he reminded himself once again,  _ they had a job to do _ \-  _ He _ _ had a job to do. _

“I've looked at the inventory, storage and shipping data trade minister Fenn provided. It's incredible- I don't think I've ever seen data this precise with such small, but accurate, margins.”

“The trade minister performs her job well.”

Eli smiled. “A little too well.”

“You have a theory?”

“It may be a bit of a stretch but yeah, I’ve got an idea.”

He explained how he compared the Aloxor data against other shipping data, both imperial and commercial, an efficient operation across the board. A little too efficient he thought. 

“Their error margins reflect those of a mid-sized company, not a government. It’s just not possible with an operation this large.” Thrawn remained impassive, but Eli felt confident; he was in his element here. “However, that in itself is not a reason for suspicion of course. Can't catch people for a job well done. Which brings me to the cooling and storage numbers...” Thrawn leaned back in his chair, stapling his fingers, observing Eli closely. “Initially, I thought they were unremarkable- In fact, they are very similar to what I’ve seen on Lysatra.” He suppressed a wry smile, no point telling Thrawn that was what nearly blindsided him. “However, Aloxor’s climate is different. It’s not as obvious here in the city, but nighttime temperatures here would drop significantly, especially in the underground storage facilities.”

“I presume that is the data you requested from Commander Faro last night?”

“Some of it, yes.” Eli confirmed, she sent it earlier this morning when Eli had already been fairly certain of his theory. But extra confirmation never hurt. He’d asked her to both send him climate records of similar planets and asked her to measure the planet's surface temperature at night from the  _ Chimaera,  _ they had then calculated estimates for underground storage temperatures. Unfortunately, from such a distance it wasn’t a precise science, but it provided a good indication. He points at a row on his datapad. “Normally, this wouldn't stand out at all- It’s only a slight miscalculation.” Eli shrugged. “But with the rest of the data this precise…”

Thrawn nodded. “It is unlikely that trade minister Fenn simply made a mistake.”

“That’s not all- The electricity usage at night is higher at night than I would expect, based on these numbers. Again, it is within normal deviation standards- but considering the minimal deviations in the rest of the data as the new standard.” In fact, recalculating the standard deviations based on the data at hand was exactly what he had done last night. “It’s a significant difference.”

“Interesting.”

“Then you’ll like what’s next; I managed to get a hold of their garbage and disposal data- which is  _ not  _ managed by the ministry of trade and commerce.” He opened another sheet on the datapad. “And the data is also not overseen by the trade minister.” This was Eli’s favourite part, he’d purposefully left it till last. It had taken some digging and cost him the better part of the night, but it was well worth it in his opinion. He pointed at a row on the datapad. “The empty fuel tanks they send back following the months in which shipments went missing, they don't match fuel usage.” 

“You suspect direct involvement from the ministry itself.”

“Something is going on off the books- that’s what the numbers suggest.”

“But it does not answer where the missing shipments currently are or how to prevent such incidents in the future.”

Eli’s shoulders sagged a little. “No, sir.”

“And we cannot confront them based on these numbers alone.”

Eli felt himself deflate. Put that way, his work -work he’d been pretty proud of- was of little use. Opposite him, Thrawn stiffened slightly.

“That is not to say I don’t agree with your assessment. I suspected the ambassador and trade minister Fenn were involved, but I was not sure how or to what degree. Your analysis has been most illuminating. Thank you.”

“What made you suspect them?” He asked, but already had a nagging suspicion the art Thrawn has been observing the previous day played into it.

“There were several factors that aroused my suspicions; our investigation of the warehouse, your observations at yesterday’s lunch as well as your analysis and the artwork the ambassador shows us to were all important considerations.” Eli stayed silent, encouraging Thrawn to elaborate. As much as he might have learned from him over the years, his insights in art and the subsequent analysis was still foreign to Eli. “The artwork suggests the people of Aloxor place a high value on food; both economically and socially, like due to the nature and climate of this world. It suggests there have been periods of scarcity during which food represented wealth and prosperity. But they are also a proud people; self-sufficient and likely to hide their hardships and devise their own solutions.” Eli nodded, whilst he hadn’t considered any of this himself, it intuitively rang true. “However, the artwork suggests that these periods of scarcity were infrequent and that occurred when the -admittedly fragile- balance of supply and demand was disturbed.”

“Bad harvests?” Eli thought aloud.

Thrawn nodded. “Amongst other things.”

Eli smiled, despite being intimately familiar with Thrawn’s analytical skill where it came to art, this never ceased to amaze him.  _ And he had missed this.  _ “You got all that from that vase?”

Thrawn shook his head. “Not just the vase, the tapestry the ambassador showed us was quite informative.” Eli nodded, vaguely remembering them passing by a large handwoven tapestry early on, he'd still been distracted by the windows and their outlook over the city. “And the images and data I found in the Imperial Archives certainly didn’t hurt.” A flicker of a smile played around Thrawn’s eyes, but it disappeared as soon as Eli spotted it. He opted to ignore it, focussing on the other thing Thrawn had mentioned.

“You also said something about the lunch?” He prodded, but Thrawn remained silent for a moment and then fixed his gaze on Eli.

“Based on our analysis so far, what are your thoughts on it?”

“The selection to us was likely imported and specifically served to us as guests. It was aerodrated; easy but effective for long term storage without negatively impacting the fruits’ integrity too much. That would fit with what you observed in the art as well I believe.” 

“It would indeed, what else?”

He replayed the event in his mind, unwilling to admit he had paid more attention to the man currently sat opposite him than their hosts. Luckily for him, he had always had a good memory- Hopefully, he had noticed the right detail. “The locals were hesitant to eat with us- I thought it could have been cultural, being careful with food. But it was just the food that was served to us. Whereas with their own dishes, they were indiscriminate...” A conclusion formed in his mind. He was unsure but if there was one thing he learned in the CDF, it was to stop second-guessing himself. Ar’alani had not tolerated it and after six months had told him to get it together or return to the Empire. That had done it. Not wanting to disappoint either Thrawn or his parents, but also fed up with himself for falling back into the self-doubt he ought to have shed during his years of Imperial service, Eli had pulled himself together to serve the Ascendancy to the best of his abilities. He pulled his mind back, finding his eyes still looked with Thrawn’s, briefly if either of their minds and abilities would be what they were now without each other.

“Their hesitancy in eating the imported foods, compared to their own choices implies the imported foods are considered a delicacy. Likely taken out for our visit specifically, designated to feed and impress guests. But since the fruits we were offered are relatively easy to ship in, even around here, it’s due to the economic concerns rather than the actual availability of the food.”

Thrawn nodded almost imperceptibly. “Did you notice their preferred lunch selection?”

Eli frowned, closing his eyes for a moment as he replayed the scene in his mind. “Some kind of.. roots? I think they all had them.” He opened his eyes again, just in time to see Thrawn’s lip curl slightly. Unconsciously, he was glad he caught it.

“Indeed. The dish was not served on our table, but to the side- yet it was the most common dish in the room and available in the largest quantity and eaten by all of the local officials, albeit it never directly in front of us. And no reference appears to it in any of the art I found- neither here nor in the Imperial Archives.” Eli frowned, food featured heavily in Aloxorian art and its depictions had been detailed and accurate. His hand rubbed his chin, a gesture that even the CDF hadn’t managed to rid him off. It was right in front of him, slipping through his fingers and as soon as Thrawn would explain it, it would seem so obvious. 

Reflexively, he locked eyes with Thrawn. A once familiar action when they were trying to solve a problem. The line of Thrawn’s shoulders tensed for a moment and Eli felt he might break away, but then the Chiss relaxed- leaning back in his seat. 

“You are forming a theory.” Thrawn observed.

“There are various options.” Eli began. “The roots could be a relatively new addition to the local cuisine, but then you wouldn't expect them all to be eating it...And it just doesn’t feel right.” Thrawn remained silent, his eyes still locked on his own as he analysed the information available to him, willing himself to uncover what his unconscious mind already knew.  _ What was he missing? _ “The spices... From what I could gather, based on observation at least, they seemed well-matched? And all local, based on what we've seen in the shipping manifests.”

“Unlikely for a recently discovered or imported ingredient and dish.” 

“But if it's a traditional dish, why is it absent in their art?”

Thrawn’s eyes brightened.

Thrawn motioned- “Besides it being a more recent addition to their cuisine, it could have certain cultural connotations or be present in symbols we are not aware of.” Eli raised an eyebrow.  _ Unlikely _ \- there was no chance he’d miss something like that. “But I think it may have a-  _ se’che’li _ attached to it.” 

Eli frowned- running the root of the Cheunh word.  _ Connotation? Taboo? Presumption? _ He didn’t think there was a direct basic translation, but he got the gist of it.    
  
Thrawn continued. “It is likely a food associated with a low social standing or poverty. I’ve asked Commodore Faro to provide me with further information on the fora here on Aloxor and it appears to be common.”

“But that doesn't explain why they'd be eating it with us, you’d think they’d hide it.”

“I believe they may not have had much of a choice.” Thrawn steepled his fingers.

“But we wouldn't have known the root dishes were common? They could have just served us and we would have been none the wiser.”

“They are a proud people, Lieutenant Vanto. It demands they maintain face.”

“But how does that relate to my findings? Or our missing shipments.”

“I believe the ministry took them.” Thrawn’s voice remained even, but his eyes lit up with intensified scrutiny as they bore into Eli’s. Eli, for his part, simply nodded. It was the same conclusion he had hesitantly come to himself, though he had not yet been willing to voice it. “I suspected this, but your analysis confirmed and consolidated my hypothesis, Lieutenant Vanto. The increased electricity usage, maintenance and empty fuel tanks would all fit with this- and the cooling margins are likely to offset some of the extra costs.”

“But where are the shipments now? They don’t appear to have been smuggled off planet.”

The room was silent for a moment as both men were lost in thought together, trying to find the missing pieces to their puzzles. It was Thrawn who broke the silence, requesting he contact Commodore Faro for a soil analysis he requested the previous day. It came back quickly. Thrawn hadn’t explained the reason for his request, but Eli had put together the missing pieces. “The speeders in the warehouse...” Thrawn gaze grew inquisitive. “You noticed something.”

He opened the files Thrawn requested and then, on his secondary datapad, pulled up his own report on fuel usage and vehicle repair he compiled last night. Then it dawned on him.

“The shipments- you know where they are.”

When Eli looked up, Thrawn was still looking at him but a small smile played on his lips.

“I believe it is time for us to meet the locals.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a terribly exciting chapter- setting up some stuff/revealing some of the plot. This is the first part of what was going to be one big chapter- but it would have been rather long that way + I enjoy validation. Also working in some more Force Dyad dynamics (without actually using the Force).
> 
> PS: If you think Thrawn is blowing hot and cold a bit, yes- he is. It will be explained later, but our favourite blue man is having a bad time and doing his best not to show it. But all will become clear in due time!


End file.
